Building the Bridge
by sasuhina-fan7
Summary: Lab #9: Wally gets a phone call at 3 in the morning and finds it to be from the one person he never thought.


**A/N: Hello everyone, thank you for your patience and I hope you all enjoyed your holidays. Let me say that out of the lab series, this is the longest one I've written. I'm proud of it actually. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: No own Young Justice or Naruto, this is just for fun**

His phone vibrated at three o'clock in the morning. Wally was sitting on the couch that had become his bed in the past few weeks, his notes spread out on the coffee table as he studied them for finals coming up. Usually he didn't need to study for this long since he already knew most of it and had even applied them many times during his time in the chemistry lab, but Wally needed the distraction since the growing distance between him and Artemis as well as Hinata was wearing on him. Although Wally had also taken to hide himself in the chemistry lab to help deal with the stress of it all, he had felt it wasn't enough; and he knew it wasn't enough. How did his life become so screwed up?

Wally picked up his phone, his mind too muddled to even care why someone would call him at this hour. He didn't even check the caller ID as he pushed the call button and placed it to his ear, intent on keeping this conversation as short as possible.

"W-Wally?" Hinata's voice was low and raspy as if she had been crying. Wally sat up as the annoyance and fatigue left his body.

"Hinata? What's wrong?" he asked in quick succession - he couldn't talk as fast as his uncle, but he was above normal.

"N-Nothing," Wally wanted to call bullshit, but he didn't want to scare her away when she came to him instead of the other way around, "Could y-you meet m-me outside the c-chemistry lab."

He knew he should have reminded her about the time, and the fact that the lab would have been locked up; but Wally honestly couldn't bring himself to care. Was he upset at how Hinata had literally avoided him? Hell yes, especially he also had his own problems and stresses. But he knew he couldn't do much besides just reminding her that he was around if he needed to talk.

"Sure, right now?" just because he didn't care didn't mean Wally shouldn't make sure.

"Y-Yeah, if you d-don't mind." the hesitation in her voice was a clear as day.

"Of course, I don't mind. Give me fifteen minutes tops. You want me to stay on the phone with you?" Wally asked and hoped she said yes. He had to make sure Hinata wouldn't leave again, or that something wouldn't happen while he was off the phone.

"N-No, that's okay," Hinata's voice was above a whisper, and it was starting to freak Wally out, but he responded to her anyway, telling her he would be there soon and hung up

Wally was dressed in a plain T-shirt and red and yellow plaid pajama pants - no matter how long he was retired, Kid Flash couldn't completely disappear - and he completed the outfit by grabbing his favorite jacket that was draped above the couch. His green eyes looked to his backpack that was sitting next to the couch. It was mostly empty with his notes still on the coffee table, but the notes from his lab sessions - both his and the ones he had done with Hinata - were contained in it, including the copy of notes from Hinata's research. The chemistry lab was definitely closed, so Wally knew there wasn't going to session; however, he could hope to give them to Hinata and maybe, just maybe, they could start over.

The inner debate went on for a few seconds until Wally heard the whimper of the dog. He blinked and looked at the archway that separated the living room from the hallway where the white bulldog stood. Poor guy had been in the middle of the tension going on between his masters and had to give up the kitchen - his favorite place to sleep - when Wally moved to it. Wally felt bad for him if - Wally was seriously tempted to change that to when - he and Artemis broke up.

"I'm just going out for a bit, boy," Wally explained, deciding it wouldn't hurt as he grabbed his backpack and swung it over his shoulder. He gave the dog a tired smile, "Whatever you do, don't wake Artemis. Things could get ugly."

As if he understand, the dog lowered his head and walked to the kitchen. Wally then grabbed his keys before turning off the table lamp and heading out the door. December was colder than usual, Wally thought as he pulled his jacket a bit closer to him. His shoes made crunching sounds as it made contact with the snow that accumulated that afternoon - well, yesterday afternoon. It was a reminder that Christmas break was coming, and he had no idea what he was going to do. Usually, he and Artemis had originally planned on spending the holidays with his parents; but he wasn't so sure of that with how the relationship was going. With how much his parents loved Artemis - his mom constantly asking him when he was going to propose - Wally knew it wasn't going to be easy to admit about the growing rift.

The very thought made Wally blow out a breath of misty air as he kept walking. Again, he had to wonder how his life had become so screwed up in the past few weeks. Wally was starting to think his life as Kid Flash was more normal than his sophomore year of college.

Running his bare hand over his face and noting how both were starting to freeze, Wally kept his thoughts on topic, like his friend and lab partner sounding like hell, and needing his help. His relationship problems could hold on for a bit longer.

Wally found Hinata just outside the door, dressed in a black sweatshirt and jeans, clearly not warm enough. Her hair was slightly disheveled and tear streaks were as clear in the dark as her bags. Getting over the initial shock of actually seeing her like this, Wally treated Hinata like she was the most fragile thing in the world -and she was in Wally's mind - as he closed the gap between them and carefully wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He stopped when he felt Hinata's body tense a bit, and he waited as she looked up at him; and Wally could tell she was trying to keep herself from loosing it. A large lump formed in his throat as he tried again to pull her to him, his own eyes stinging with what he liked to think was the cold, but he knew it was tears.

"It's freezing," Wally said when her head was tucked under his chin, his hand moving down to wrap around her back, "You should be wearing something warmer."

He felt Hinata nod while a part of his jacket was being clenched in her fist. It didn't take long for her to start shaking, and Wally didn't know if it was because she was crying, if she was cold, or both. Either way, he held her a bit tighter, hoping to comfort her as well as warm her. No doubt the cold was starting to get to him, but Wally could ignore for a bit.

"I-I'm sorry," she murmured when she gently pushed herself away from Wally's embrace. Wally wouldn't deny feeling a bit disappointed as well as freezing, but he disguised it with a concerned smile.

"Don't worry about it, gorgeous," he didn't mean to call her that, "I told you I would be here for you."

Hinata didn't look him in the eye as she wiped at her eyes, confirming Wally thoughts of her crying again. Careful once more, Wally reached out for her, touching her shoulder and keeping his smile when she tensed once more.

"Come on, let's get out of the cold. We could head back to my place."

"N-No," Hinata shook her head. She looked at Wally for five seconds before looking down again, "I-I don't want t-to bother Artemis. W-We can go back t-to my dorm room."

Wally wasn't exactly expecting that. He had thought Hinata would refuse completely and make an excuse to leave. Of course, Wally would have stopped her because she was clearly not okay, and he wasn't going to just stand by after seeing how messed up she was and how she had reached out to him. Wally never predicted Hinata would accept his offer although change the location.

"Sure, if that's okay with you," Wally said, his own body beginning to shiver under the chilling wind.

Still not meeting his eyes, Hinata began walking back, her steps a bit woobly. Wally didn't hesitate to place his hands on her shoulders to keep her balanced and followed the trail back to the dorms. With it being close to break, Wally would have thought there be a lot of more activity of the partying kind. Maybe he had underestimated the students here.

"R-Right here," Hinata stammered as she stopped in front of one of the doors. Her hands were still shaking as she dug into pants pocket and pulled out her key. It took a few times, but she was able to unlock her door and step inside.

It was a single dorm - something that was expensive at this school - and completely neat. The walls were a classic beige with a few posters - one including a sky view of Gotham, which Wally assumed Hinata had obtained during her stay there - and the carpet was a boring blue. Notebooks as well as textbooks were stacked casually on a desk in one corner with a backpack sitting on the chair. The bed wasn't made, but Wally knew very few people who ever kept it made; so it wasn't something he was worried about. All in all, it was a normal, boring if one would dare say, dorm room.

Hinata gestured awkwardly to her bed, and Wally was slow to sit on it, removing his backpack from his shoulders and putting it next to his feet. He watched as Hinata shifted on her feet for a bit, and he was going to tell her to sit down since this was clearly her room, but he was stopped when she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry."

Wally blinked, not sure if he heard right, but he didn't say anything. Instead he just leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on his knees, his expression turning back to the usual understanding he had with her. Hinata's eyes were slow to look at him as her hand thread to her hair while her bottom lip was sucked into her teeth.

"I-I was u-upset, and I pushed you away," her voice cracked just a bit and her eyes squeezed tight, but Wally could see a stray tear fall down that red track mark etched on her face. She was quick to wipe it away.

"Hinata," Wally reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it just a bit when it flinched under his touch.

"And t-then I made t-things worse between you and y-your girlfriend," she went on while Wally pulled gently to sit next to him, again his arms around her shoulders, "I-It's just...I-I didn't want t-to make your l-life harder...and..."

"Shhh," Wally said as he squeezed her shoulder, his smile genuine as he looked at her, "Gorgeous, what happened is none of your fault. You were attacked by a few assholes, and it scared you. Was I worried and a bit stressed out, yeah, but I'm always like that when my friends are upset. As for Artemis..." Wally's smile faltered to a frown and he let out a sigh, "I have no idea what's going on between us. One minutes we're distant, then we're close, and now we're distant again; and none of that is your fault."

"B-But..."

"None of it is your fault, gorgeous," Wally repeated and then he laid a kiss her forehead, "Get that into your pretty little head of yours. Right now, I'm just glad you're talking to me. I wasn't kidding about worrying about you."

Hinata looked away guiltily, but Wally just put a hand under her chin and drew her back to his attention, "And you don't have to be sorry. But if you really want to make it up to me, we can start doing our lab sessions again," his foot tapped his backpack, drawing Hinata's attention to it, "I still have a copy of my notes for you to use."

She didn't say anything for a few seconds, her eyes blinking a few times, which made Wally caress a thumb over the tear streaks, willing them away. Hinata flinched a bit, and Wally was going to pull away until Hinata looked at him with a smile that was a bit strained.

"W-What's the best time?"

**A/N: Not exactly a happy ending, but I was hoping to make it a bit hopeful. Thank you for reading.**


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